Exterior lighting systems have been used for many applications including outdoor stadiums, municipal highways, sidewalks, patios and parking lots. It is most common to have these exterior lights powered by electricity that has been generated at a remote location either by a hydroelectric power plant, fossil fuel burning power plant or a nuclear power plant. In recent times, concerns have been raised that the high demand for electricity is taxing the capacity of existing electrical generating plants. Furthermore, concerns regarding the availability and environmental safety of fossil and nuclear fuel are being raised. As a result of the above factors, the price of electricity has significantly increased and other alternate means of lighting are now becoming practical.
Various exterior lighting systems have been devised using photovoltaic panels commonly referred to as solar panels in conjunction with batteries. These exterior lighting systems have been designed such that sunlight impinging on a solar panel charges a battery during the day time. The battery can subsequently provide a source of electricity for a lighting element during the nighttime. These systems all are fabricated particularly for the battery being mounted in or about a fixed vertical pole. These systems, by being specifically adapted to require a special pole which must have an access panel, limit the applicable uses for a lighting element structure.
What is needed is a solar powered battery storage lighting system that is adaptable to variety of applications and which can be expeditiously mounted on top of a metal or cement pole support or alternately mounted against a flat vertical member such as a wall.